Knife block for stereo-and linotype casting machines



KNIFE BLOCK FOR STEREO- AND LINOTYPE CASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/VENTOR Karl Dbvs BY M 0 ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1960 K. DEBUS 2,961,089

KNIFE BLOCK FOR STEREO- AND LINOTYPE CASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. la

ATTOR NEYS Nov. 22, 1960 K. DEBUS 2,961,089

KNIFE BLOCK FOR STEREO- AND LINOTYPE CASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Karl Debus y M 3L1? ATTORNEYS atent @ffifice ZQMJISQ Patented Nov. 22, 1960 KNIFE BLOCK FOR STEREO- AND LINOTYPE CASTING MACHINES Karl Debus, Bad Hamburg, Germany, assignor to Linotype G.m.b.H., BerIin-Templehof, Germany, a German company Filed Jan. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 788,440

Claims. (11. 199 59 In matrix setting and line casting machines, the lines are trimmed on both sides during the ejection. For this purpose there is used a knife block with a slide which serves as carrier for one of the two knives. This slide is adjustable to correspond to the different point sizes, this being effected by way of adjusting members. In one form of construction of the knife block, there is achieved for example with the aid of adjusting screws one of which is provided for each individual point size and which are mounted on an adjusting disc rotatable in the knife block, the adjusting disc being operated by a knob connected thereto. The slide, which must be freely movable for its adjustments in the knife block, is clamped fast to the block in order to secure the point size as adjusted, for example by means of a wedge which is tightened by means of a toggle.

in order to set up a new point size, it is therefore necessary first of all to bring this toggle into the position for releasing the clamping action, then move the hand over to the knob, turn the latter, and then re-adjust the disc with the adjusting screws; then the hand is once again changed back to the toggle and the wedge tightened again with it in order to clamp the slide fast. The arrangement described thus entails two separateand differentoperations and a correspondingly complicated and time-consuming operation, which is further made difficult by the fact that the knife block is disposed on the left of the composer, so that the composer can only very uncomfortably move at least the knob with the left hand with the palm of the hand turned in the outward direction, and so the composer has to make use of his right hand for this operation, which means moving this hand the long distance from the right over the keygoard of the machine.

According to the invention, it is now possible in simple manner to obviate all these drawbacks, by providing one common operating member for the clamping and release of the slide and for the adjustment of the particular point slze.

The common operating member is advantageously a hand lever which is rockable in two planes and which, during rocking in one plane, operates the clamping device for the slide and during rocking transversely thereto operates the rotatable disc. The lever is preferably articulated on the adjusting disc and also connected to the means for clamping the slide fast, this point of connection advantageously lying in the direct region of the axis of rotation of the disc. As a result very good conditions are obtained, structurally and physiologically, for the different operations, especially the clamping and release of the slide and the adjustment of the adjusting disc. It is also advantageous to provide in the knife block a rotatable bolt the axis of which coincides with that of the adjusting disc, to construct said bolt as a member of the device for clamping and releasing the slide, and in addit-ion to connect said bolt, for example, through a slot and a pin guided therein, to the common operating member,

for example a hand lever. The bolt is advantageously axially slidable and has a cone which exerts the clamping pressure on the slide through a two-armed lever, which is spring-loaded if desired. Said lever is advantageously unequal-armed in such manner that the longer arm is subjected to the attack of the cone and the shorter arm acts on the slide. In the longer arm of the lever may be mounted a set-screw against which the attack of the cone takes place.

The rotatable and axially slidable bolt may at the same time be used to lift the slide from the carrying adjusting screw before the adjusting disc is further rotated. To this end, the bolt is provided for example with an appropriate curved piece.

Moreover, according to the invention it is possible easily to provide the knife block with means for locking the adjusting screw against rotation simultaneously with the clamping of the slide. The locking means may have a toothed disc in the toothed rim of which engages a nose of the operating lever, the teeth and the nose advantageously being so constructed that they jointly bring about and secure the final adjusted position of the disc.

Moreover, it is advantageous to provide adjusting screws of different length which are interchangeable for a number of bores of the adjusting means, so that it is not necessary to have a bore for each required point size, combined with the advantage that the rocking range of the hand lever is kept small.

Further features, advantages and possible applications of the invention will be apparent from the following description given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section view of the knife block taken along the line 1-1 in Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. la is a view of the knife block in the direction of the slide guide, and

Figure 2 is the appertaining longitudinal section on the line IIII in Figure la.

The knife 1, of which the edge 2 together with the corresponding edge 2 of the co-acting knife 1' serves for trimming the cast line (not shown) is connected adjustably to the slide 4 by means of two screws 3, which pass through adequate bores or slots through the knife 1, and is adjusted by means of two pressure screws, for example 6 in Figure 2 and chain-dotted 6, 7 in Figure l, screwed in a projection 5 of said carriage.

The carriage or slide 4- is provided with a dovetail 8, by means of which it is guided in the main body 9 of the knife block for movement transversely to the longitudinal direction of the knife I, when the latter is set exactly to the point size required for the line to be trimmed. This particular setting of the slide 4 is determined by adjusting screws, for example it l0, lit, 10", which are screwed into a disc 11 to different depths according to the point size, said disc being mounted rotatably on a collar 12 of the main body 9. The slide 4 is constantly pressed in the direction of the adjusting screws by a spring 40 hearing at one end on the slide and at the other end on the main body 9. The adjusting screws 10, 10, 10", lil cooperate with the slide 4 by way of an intermediate body 33, for example of hard material, the width of which corresponds approximately to the distance between two adjusting screws, and can be secured in position in any known manner not shown.

The axis of the disc 11 extends in parallel relationship to the direction of motion of the slide 4. The disc 11 is operatively coupled by a spring-loaded detent ball 14 to another disc 15 joined fast to the main body 9, the ball 14 and the spring 16 being mounted in the disc 15, and the disc 15 has at the rim a number of teeth, for

example 17, 17', in which engages a nose 18 of a common operating lever 19. One end of this lever is pivotally connected, by way of a pivot 20, to two bearing jaws, for example 21, of the adjusting disc 11 (see Figures land 2) and also through two slots, for example 22, provided on a fork in it, and two pins, for example 23, guided in said slots, to a bolt 24, which carries the pins and which is mounted in the main body 9 to be ro tatable and axially slidable and passes centrally through the toothed disc 15. The axis of the central position of the slot and pin connection 2223 crosses the longitudinal axis of the bolt 24, which coincides with the common axis of rotation of the discs 11 and 15.

The bolt 24 further has a conical part 25 (Figure 2), which acts on a set-screw 26 (Figure l) which is screwed into the end of the longer arm 27 of a two-armed lever rockable about the pin 28 and is fixed by means of the nut 29. The pin 28 is mounted in a fork 39 connected to the main body 9. The shorter arm 30 of the lever has a rounded-off part 31 which presses on one flank 32 of the dovetail 8 of the slide 4. If desired, a spring (not shown) is additionally provided on the two-armed lever and constantly presses the longer arm 27 and the set-screw 26 against the cone 25 of the bolt 24. The bolt 24 is also provided with a curved piece 33 which cooperates with a pin 34 which is screwed into the dovetail 8 of the slide 4.

The arrangement operates as follows:'

To adjust the knife 1 to a new point size the free end of the common lever 19 (in the drawing the lower end) is rocked towards the knife block, the fixed pivot point being formed by the bearing 21 situated on the adjusting disc 11 which is axially fixed by means of the toothed disc 15. Through the rocking of the lever, the bolt 24 is first of all pushed axially into the block and the setscrew 26 is moved on the cone 25 relatively to the right, loosening its contact pressure so that the clamping pressure of the rounded portion 31 on the flank 32 of the slide 4 ceases and the latter can be freely displaced. Moreover, in consequence of the rocking of the lever 19 the nose 18 is turned out of the row of teeth 17, 17 of the disc 15, with the result that the locking of the adjusting disc 11 is released. Moreover, in consequence of the pressing in of the bolt 24 the curved piece 33 comes into operative connection with the pin 34 screwed into the slide 4. The latter is moved to the left against the action of the springs 40 in Figure 2, from the observers viewpoint, and the pressure of the intermediate body 13 of the adjusting screw in question is released.

The lever 19 is now turned about the common centre axis of the bolt 24, the toothed disc 15, and the adjusting disc 11. In these circumstances, by means of the slot and pin connection the bolt 24 is jointly turned by constraint about its axis, the curved piece 33 moving the slide away from the former adjusting screw, for example 10, by way of the pin 34 attacked by it. In these circumstances the slide 4 is guided by' the dovetail 8. At the same time, with the constrained elimination of the operative ball detent coupling 14, 16, and by means of the joint connection 20, 21, the adjusting disc 11 is rotated about its axis and set to another adjusting screw.

The lever 19 is thereupon rocked back into the position shown in Figure 2, whereby the nose 18 is again pressed into the row of teeth on the disc and in these circumstances automatically brings about and secures by constraint the exact position of the adjusting screw. In addition, in consequence of the rocking back of the lever the bolt 24 is drawn back axially whereby firstly, by way of the cone 25 and the combination of the longer arm 27 and pin 28, the slide 4 is clamped fast to the main body 9 of the knife block, which is in turn fastened by screws (not shown) on the machine, said screws passing through the holes 35, 36 of the lugs 37 and 38 of the knife block. 'In consequence of the axial return movement of the bolt 24, the operative connection between the curved piece 33 and the pin 34 is at the same time eliminated; the spring 40 presses the slide 4 and hence the intermediate body 13 against the adjusting screw, for example 10", newly arrived in the stop position. The main body 9 serves as a stop for the curved piece 33 and hence limits in the extreme case the axial displacement of the bolt 24 in this direction, while in the other direction this movement is limited by the nose 18 of the lever 19 striking for example against the adjusting disc 11.

Adjustment screws 10 of differing lengths may be selectively and interchangeably placed within a number of boreholes of the disc 11. By this expedient, the position of the several adjustment screws 10 may be selected to provide for a relatively short movement of the operating lever 19 between the more commonly employed point size positions, and further, to eliminate the need for an adjustment screw 10 and borehole for each and every point size.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been described above in great detail it will be obvious that many changes and modifications can be made thereto, and it is intended that such changes and modifications be included in the scope of the appendant claims.

I claim:

1. A knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said slide member, adjustment means for adjusting said slide member and trimming knife to a required point size, releasable clamping means for said slide member, and a common operating member for operating said adjustment means and said releasable clamping means, said common operating member being a single hand lever which is rockable in two planes, rocking movement of said hand lever in one of said planes operating said releasable clamping means for said slide member and in the other of said planes operating said adjustment means.

2. A knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife/carried by said slide member, a rotatable disc member mounted for rotation on said knife block, a plurality of adjustment means arranged on said disc for adjusting said slide member, a two-armed lever pivotally mounted in said knife block with one arm arranged to contact said slide member, a slidable and rotatable bolt arranged in said knife block, a conical portion on said bolt'arranged to cooperate with the second arm of the two-armed lever so that in one axial position of the bolt said one arm is clamped on said slide member and in the other axial position of said bolt said one arm is released from said slide member, and a hand lever operatively connected at a position intermediate its ends with said bolt, said hand lever being pivoted at one of its ends to said rotatable disc so that rocking of said lever in one plane causes axial sliding movement of said bolt and rocking of said lever in another plane causes rotation of said rotatable disc.

3. A knife block as .claimed in claim 2, wherein rock ing of said hand lever in said other plane also causes rotation of said bolt, said bolt being further provided at its free end with a curved portion which cooperates with said slide member to move said slide member away from said adjusting means when said rotatable disc is rotated.

4. A knife block as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axis of said bolt coincides with the axis of said rotatable disc.

5. A knife block as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a toothed disc and a nose portion on said hand lever arranged to engage in said teeth, said teeth and said nose being so constructed that they jointly bring about and secure the final adjusted position of said rotatable disc.

6. In a knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slidemember slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said asenose slide member, adjustment means for adjusting said slide member and trimming knife to a required point size, and releasable clamping means for clamping said slide member in an adjusted position, the provision of a common operating member for operating said releasable clamping means and adjustment means, and locking means for locking said adjustment means simultaneously with the clamping of said releasable clamping means.

7. In a knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said slide member, adjustment means for adjusting said slide member and trimming knife to a required point size, and releasable clamping means for clamping said slide member in an adjusted position, the provision of a rd tatable disc mounted for rotation on said knife block having a plurality of screw receiving boreholes arranged on a circular path on said rotatable disc, a plurality of adjustment screws of different lengths which are interchangeably received, resilient means for urging said slide member into a position determined by one of said adjustment screws, and a hand lever on said rotatable disc.

8. A knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said slide member, a rotatable disc member mounted for rotation on said knife block, a plurality of adjustment means arranged on said disc for adjusting said slide member and trimming knife to a required point size, releasable clamping means for clamping said slide in an adjusted position, said releasable clamping means being operable through a bolt concentrically mounted with said rotatable disc member, and a hand lever arranged for rocking in two planes, one end of said hand lever being pivotally connected to said rotatable disc and an intermediate point of said hand lever being pivotally connected to said bolt of said clamping means, movement of said hand lever in one of said planes operating said releasable clamping means and movement of said hand lever in the other of said planes operating said rotatable disc to bring a selected one of said adjustment means into engagement with said slide.

9. A knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said slide member, a rotatable disc member mounted for rotation on said knife block, a plurality of adjustment means arranged on said disc for adjusting said slide member, a two-armed lever pivotally mounted in said knife block with one arm arranged to contact said slide member, a slidable and rotatable bolt arranged in said knife block, a conical portion on said bolt arranged to cooperate with the second arm of the two-armed lever so that in one axial position of the bolt said one arm is clamped on said slide member and in the other axial position of said bolt said one arm is released from said slide member, and a single hand lever operatively connected at a position intermediate its ends with said bolt, said single hand lever being pivoted at one of its ends to said rotatable disc so that rocking of said lever in one plane causes axial sliding movement of said bolt and rocking of said lever in another plane causes rotation of said rotatable disc, said single band lever having an arresting position in which both said slide and said rotatable disc are locked against any movement, movement of said single band lever from said arresting position causing an axial displacement of said bolt simultaneously releasing both the locking of the slide and the rotatable disc, and a rocking movement of said single hand lever causing a rotation of said bolt causing a corresponding movement of both said slide and said rotatable disc, these movements being positively interconnected in a forcelocking manner.

10. A knife block for matrix setting and line casting machines, comprising a slide member slidably mounted in said knife block, a line trimming knife carried by said slide member, a rotatable disc member mounted for rotation on said knife block, a plurality of adjustment means arranged on said disc for adjusting said slide member, a two-armed lever pivotally mounted in said knife block with one arm arranged to contact said slide member, a slidable and rotatable bolt arranged in said knife block, a conical portion on said bolt arranged to cooperate with the second arm of the two-armed lever so that in one axial position of the bolt said one arm is clamped on said slide member and in the other axial position of said bolt said one arm is released from said slide member, and a single hand lever operatively connected at a position intermediate its ends with said bolt, said single band lever being pivoted at one of its ends to said rotatable disc so that rocking of said lever in one plane causes axial sliding movement of said bolt and rocking of said lever in another plane causes rotation of said rotatable disc and rotation of said bolt, said bolt being further provided at its free end with a curved portion which cooperates with said slide member to move said slide member away from said adjusting means when said rotatable disc is rotated, said single hand lever having an arresting position in which both said slide and said rotatable disc are locked against any movement, movement of said single band lever from said arresting position causing an axial displacement of said bolt simultaneously releasing both the locking of the slide and the rotatable disc, and a rocking movement of said single hand lever causing a rotation of said bolt causing a corresponding movement of both said slide and said rotatable disc, these movements being positively interconnected in a force-locking manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,106,948 Komancsek Aug. 11, 1914 1,124,994 Bertram Jan. 12, 1915 1,655,075 Smith Jan. 3, 1928 1,656,639 Kingsbury Jan. 17, 1928 1,782,468 Guest Nov. 25, 1930 

